


Chili and apple pie evening

by darlinghookshipper87



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Domestic Frank, F/M, Fluff, Frank cooks and takes care of her, Karen gets injured
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 23:40:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12000351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darlinghookshipper87/pseuds/darlinghookshipper87
Summary: Karen sprains her ankle walking home to work and Frank.... Being who he is finds out and stops by to take care of her. Much to Karen's surprise.





	Chili and apple pie evening

Karen was heading home from the Bulletin. Way too distracted to be walking home in the rain, in heels and trying to text Foggy back... She slipped off the side of the curb and went down. "Son of a bitch." She muttered and grimaced when her ankle began to throb. And in typical New York City fashion.... No one seemed concerned that she was sprawled on the curb in pain. 

"Gee thanks everyone." She muttered again as she managed to flag down a cab and hobble into it. "Thanks." She told the driver as it took off for her place. 

_[text: Foggy] Can't make drinks. Something came up. Sorry, next time?_

She didn't bother telling him about her injury, knowing he would try and come over and Karen was too stubborn to ask for help. 

_[text: Karen] No problemo. We'll do it another night._

She paid the driver when the cab pulled in front of her place. Grabbing her things as she limped into her building and up the stairs. Greeting Mrs. Goldstein, her nosy next door neighbor, with a wince on her face. She got inside of her place, and immediately grabbed an ice pack, a hand towel and collapsed on her bed to ice it. 

Five minutes later, she had her foot propped up and staring at her wall, bored. "Worst. Day. Ever." She muttered to herself. 

\--------

Frank knew. He always knew when it came to Karen. He got a text from Micro who had been keeping an eye on Karen per his request. So when he heard that she was hurt.... He stopped by the store and bought groceries to make her dinner. He knew she would just end up ordering some kind of bullshit to go food. 

He finally got to her building and debated on how to get in. He couldn't crawl up her fire escape with arms full of grocery bags and Max on a leash. And he doubted Karen would be able to let him in with her ankle. Finally, he buzzed Mrs. Goldstein, a nosy, elderly widow. "Hello?" Came the curious voice. 

"Hello Mrs. Goldstein. My name is Frank, I'm Karen's boyfriend. Came to take care of her, but I lost my key and she's not answering." He explained charmingly as if she could see his smile. 

"Frank? Oh yes...." She had heard him say his name before. Mostly on phone calls in the hallway, and she apparently bought the story based off that. "Come on up dear, I'll let you in her place." She encouraged him and buzzed him up. As soon as Frank opened the door, Max darted into the building out of the rain and led the way up to Karen's apartment.

"Hello Mrs. Goldstein." Frank greeted the woman with a lopsided grin as Max greeted her with a lick to her hand and wagged his tail excitedly. "Apologies for the inconvenience." He told the woman. Why was it so damn easy for him to lie about being Karen's boyfriend? Max began pawing at Karen's door eagerly now. "It's no problem." She assured him with a smile and unlocked Karen's door. 

"Karen dear, your boyfriend's here for you." She told the younger woman and Karen looked up from her bed. "What? I don't have a-" She was soon cut off by Max leaping up on her bed and attacking her face with kisses. She smiled at Max and winced when he accidentally at him stepping on her injured ankle. "Thank you Mrs. Goldstein." She didn't bother correcting her neighbor, it was easier than explaining to her who Frank really was. 

"Hey come on. Easy." Frank was at Karen's bed gently pushing Max off Karen's injury. "Sorry ma'am." He told her with a smile. "He's just excited to see you again." He admitted and gave her a crooked grin as he pulled her covers back to inspect her ankle. "What are you doing here Frank?" She asked him softly as Frank's rough hands gently inspected her swollen and throbbing ankle. 

Frank shrugged and got up to get her a bottle of Advil. "Micro saw you and texted me." He explained simply. "Said you looked like you were having a rough day." He told her as he filled a glass of water and brought it back to her and the bottle of pills. "It's sprained, you should rest it a few days." He said with a nod to her foot.

She blushed at the idea of Frank keeping an eye on her and coming to take care of her. "You came to take care of me?" She asked him softly as Max laid his head in her lap and she took the pills and went back to stroking Max's head. 

"Knew you were too damn stubborn to ask for help so...." He trailed off and smiled at how domestic this all seemed. Something he never thought he would want again. Something he shouldn't want again. He didn't deserve. He shook his head at those thoughts and left them behind. "I'll start dinner." He paused before he moved her television into her bedroom and handed her the remote. "So you can watch in bed." He explained when she gave him a questioning look. 

"Thank you Frank." She murmured out and flipped on the television to find something to watch. Smiling at Frank as she watched him familiarize himself with her kitchen. Glad she had moved now, her other place was small and while she still had a studio apartment... This was bigger and her kitchen was newer. "So.... You can cook?" She asked him conversationally as she continued to find something to watch and Max enjoyed continuous scratches from Karen's loving attention. 

"Yes ma'am." He returned as he pulled out a pot and skillet so he could make his famous chili. "And I know you just would've ordered some takeout crap." He said with a rare chuckle as he poured the ground beef on a skillet to cook it as he prepped the pan for cornbread. 

Karen didn't want to bother Frank so she scooted off her bed and quietly began to attempt to change into some pajamas. Max wagged his tail at her and then barked concerned. "Hey....." Frank rushed over. "Stop, what do you need?" He asked her as he gently sat her on the edge of her bed. "I-I was going to put my pajamas on for the night." She explained with a blush. "Okay." He told her simply and began rifling through her drawers as Karen watched a marathon of America's Next Top Model. He finally pulled out a tank top, shorts and a comfier bra for her. "Come on." He held her tightly so she could stand and change. Gently, he began unzipping her skirt so she could change into the shorts. "There you go." 

She couldn't help but blush at the idea of Frank helping her undress and the intimacy of it all. She sat on the edge of the bed as she slipped the shorts on and Frank watched her to make sure she could do it on her own. "So... What's for dinner?" She asked Frank as she changed shirts and a bra. "Your meat is burning." She commented with a smile.

Frank rushed back to the kitchen to finish cooking the meat before pouring all the ingredients in the pot. "Chili and cornbread." He returned to her as he began making an apple pie for dessert. "My old lady loved it." He commented, he was finding it easier and easier to talk about his family. Especially around Karen, she liked hearing stories about them. 

"Yeah?" She asked him with a smile as she watched him from her bed. "Yeah.... And the kids. Lisa said it was a rainy day meal." He admitted. "I'm sure it's delicious. Can't wait to try it." She told him as Frank pulled out the pie crust to make an apple pie for her. "Man, you sure go all out for your friends who sprain their ankles." Karen teased Frank when she saw him starting the pie. 

Friends. Is that all Karen thought of them as? Frank was beginning to doubt that that's all they really were at this point. Him coming to visit her was nothing new. But him making her dinner sure as hell was. He didn't even mind pretending to be Karen's boyfriend. Hell, he wanted to be Karen's boyfriend. He didn't give a damn if he was dangerous for her. Karen didn't seem to care, why should he if she didn't? 

"Just the friends I care about ma'am." Came his reply and Karen blushed as she leaned back in her bed with Max and was making judgy comments about the model contestants. "How can you watch this junk?" He asked her as he came over to sit and watch with her. "Because it's trash." She answered simply with a laugh and absentmindedly put her head on his shoulder as his chili cooked on the stove and cornbread and pie baked in the oven. 

Frank kept asking her questions about the contestants and everything. "I don't get it. All their photos were fine." He would comment when one girl would get criticized for a bad picture. Karen would poke him and giggle at his confusion. Eventually, Frank found himself winding his fingers through Karen's as they watched and Max would continuously remind them that he was there too. "I know buddy." Frank told him and scratched his head affectionately.

Soon, the buzzer went off and Frank detangled himself from Karen's grip. "I'll be right back." He promised her and instinctively kissed her head tenderly. "Promise." He whispered, as if he hoped Karen would worry he would disappear for the night. And he had no plans to go anywhere tonight. This was where he wanted to be. With her. "Hurry back." She called for him with a fond smile and Frank disappeared into her kitchen and poured chili into two bowls, cut up pieces of cornbread for both of them and pulled the pie out for it to cool. He poured them both glasses of milk and then brought over Karen's serving. "Here you go." He told her as Max got up excitedly. "Down boy." He told the dog simply and he immediately laid back down and let Karen take her food. 

She smiled and took her food as he leaned in to hand her food. "Thank you Frank." She told him as she kissed his cheek and then blushed as she pulled away a bit. They just stared at each other, letting the silence stretch between them as they simply stared at each other. The look in Frank's eyes was nothing but fondness and care. He gently gripped the back of Karen's neck and pulled her back in a kiss. 

The kiss was searching and tender. Karen set her food on her bedside table before gripping his neck in response. Telling the other how they really felt in one kiss. After several moments, they pulled away as Frank tenderly stroked her cheek and gave her a lopsided grin. "Feeling better Karen?" He asked her as he bumped his nose with hers. "Yes Frank." She returned with a smile and he chuckled. "I'll be back, going to get my food." He told her and reluctantly pulled away to get his own helping of dinner and returned to her bed as they ate dinner together. Occasionally feeding the other and making comments about the model contestants.

During dessert, Karen's ankle was still swollen and throbbing, but she barely noticed as her and Frank kept exchanging kisses. On the lips, fingers, hands, her ankle. "Will you stay tonight?" She asked him softly as the rain had turned into a thunderstorm outside. 

He looked down at her and smiled. "Of course ma'am. Anything for you." He told her with another soft kiss to her lips and sighed when Karen snuck the rest of her pie to Max who gobbled it up eagerly. Hell's kitchen might have been raging a storm outside, but there was nothing but calm and peace inside The Punisher's world tonight. And they were both more than okay with that. 


End file.
